Brownfields 2005
  Grant  Fact Sheet
          Newport,  TN
EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders in economic development
to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up,
and sustainably reuse brownfields. Abrownfield site is
real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse
of which may be complicated by the presence or
potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant,
or contaminant. On January 11, 2002, President George
W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability
Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the
Brownfields Law, EPA provides financial assistance to
eligible applicants through four competitive grant
programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund
grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Addi-
tionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal
response programs through a separate mechanism.

Community Description

The City of Newport was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. Newport has a popula-
tion of approximately 7,200 inhabitants and is located in
eastern Tennessee along the Pigeon River. It has a
lower per capita income rate, higher poverty rate, and
higher unemployment rate than the rest of the state.
The target property is in a neighborhood with one of
the lowest per capita income rates and one of the
highest minority population rates in the city. This
industrial property, located adjacent to the city's main
business district, has been abandoned for several years
and was last used to store hazardous chemicals. The
deteriorating structure is an eyesore for people entering
the city's downtown, a safety hazard, an environmental
  Assessment Grant
   $79,500 for hazardous substances
  EPA has selected the City of Newport for a
  brownfields assessment grant. Grant funds will be
  used to perform a Phase I and Phase II site
  assessment on the former 2.5-acre Mohawk Mills
  site, perform a natural resources evaluation of the
  site, develop remediation and reuse plans, and
  conduct community outreach activities.
   Contacts
  For further information, including specific grant
  contacts, additional grant information, brownfields
  news and events, and publications and links, visit
  the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/
  brownfields.

  EPA Region 4 Brownfields Team
  404-562-8684
  http://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/bf/index.htm

  Grant Recipient: City of Newport, TN
  423-623-3008

  The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
  yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
  in this fact sheet are subject to change.
hazard, and a potential source of contamination for soil
and groundwater. The city plans to develop the prop-
erty as a trailhead, riverfront park, river access point
for canoeists, and parking lot for the city's downtown
district. Redevelopment will remove visible blight, and
have a beneficial impact on the economic and social
vitality of the surrounding businesses and neighbor-
hoods.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                         EPA 560-F-05-052
                         May 2005
                         www.epa.gov/brownfields

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